Patrick Smith says that part of the thrill of sports photography is being able to capture athletes up close, during the quieter moments in the game. Pictured: An up close and personal shot of former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis by Smith.

Stevenson University will host an exhibition of the works of freelance photojournalist Patrick Smith — named “2014 Sports Photographer of the Year” by Pictures of the Year International — at “Sport: Near and Far,” August 25 through November 20 in the St. Paul Companies Pavilion, located on the University’s Greenspring campus, 1525 Greenspring Valley Road, Stevenson, MD 21153.

A public reception for the exhibition will be held Wednesday, September 17, 6-8 p.m. and an art talk will take place Tuesday, October 7, 12-1 p.m. Both events are free and the public is invited to attend.

Smith’s featured portfolio spans both professional and amateur sports, from the Ravens, Orioles, and NASCAR to high school sports and even lawnmower racing.

“I encourage people to come out because a lot the pictures in this gallery are local. It pays homage to Baltimore and to Maryland,” said Smith, a Baltimore native. “There are pictures that I think everyone can connect with.”

Smith’s images have been published by major metropolitan daily newspapers, magazines, publications, and media outlets worldwide, including Getty Images, ESPN, The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, The Baltimore Sun, CNN, and Newsweek.

“I’m humbled to be on the sidelines of professional sports and even local high school games. Not everyone has that kind of access,” Smith said. “The action is great, but for me it’s the quieter moments in sports, the pictures that fans in the stands or viewers at home don’t get to see. A player in the tunnel before a game or a close up of an athlete, those kind of moments really draw you in.”

For more information about Stevenson’s arts and cultural events, visit facebook.com/SUArtEffects or contact Matthew Laumann, Manager of Cultural Programs. Email mlaumann@stevenson.edu or call 443-352-4491 to request a copy of Art Effects, the biannual guide to arts and culture at Stevenson.